Egypt Daily News – US President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, and also pardoned 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes, in the largest one-day pardon law in modern history.
Biden announced commuting sentences for people who had served home confinement sentences for at least one year after their release. Prisons were uniquely bad at spreading the virus, so some prisoners were released in part to stop its spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had Covid-19. According to a census conducted by the Associated Press.
Biden said he will take other steps in the coming weeks and will continue to review clemency petitions.
The second largest single-day pardons were issued by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before he left office in 2017, according to The Guardian.
He added: “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As president, I have the great privilege of extending compassion to people who have shown remorse and rehabilitation, restoring the opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to eliminate sentencing disparities for nonviolent offenders, especially convicted felons.” drug crimes.”
Pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad segments of people
Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon wide swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before Donald Trump’s administration takes office in January.
White House lawyers said that those released Thursday “were convicted of non-violent crimes, such as drug crimes, and managed their lives. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters, a church deacon who worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor, a doctoral student in molecular biological sciences, and a military veteran.”
The president previously issued 122 commutations and 21 pardons. He also issued broad pardons to those convicted of using and possessing marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former U.S. military service members convicted of violating a now-rescinded military ban on consensual same-sex sex.
Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, and 34 other lawmakers, urged the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or has been under house arrest for three years on a contempt of court charge, related to his work representing indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron.
Others are calling on Biden to commute the sentences of inmates on federal death row. Attorney General Merrick Garland has halted federal executions.
Biden had said, during his 2020 election campaign, that he wanted to end the death penalty, but he never did so, and now, with Trump back in office, executions are likely to resume.
During his first term, Trump oversaw an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic.
More pardons are scheduled to be issued before Biden leaves office on January 20, but it is not clear whether he will take measures to protect against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of power.
